The present disclosure generally relates to the mounting of cladding to an exterior of a vehicle body and more particularly relates to an improved mounting arrangement for securing cladding to the vehicle body. In one embodiment, a vehicle cladding mounting arrangement includes a plastic body cladding having an integrally formed cladding clip structure extending from a main panel portion, a plastic support bracket having an integrally formed bracket clip structure extending from a body portion, and a vehicle body defining a mounting aperture that receives the bracket clip structure and the cladding clip structure therein. The improved mounting arrangement will be described with particular reference to this embodiment, but it is to be appreciated that it is also amenable to other like applications.
Many vehicles include a cladding, such as a molded plastic cladding, attached to an exterior of the vehicle's body, such as a sheet metal vehicle body. For example, a cladding in the form of a panel can be attached to the vehicle body in a quarter panel area thereof for purposes of enhancing the vehicle's appearance. One often employed means for attaching the cladding to the vehicle body is to incorporate a molded-in or integral clip or attachment structure into the cladding that can be secured, sometimes releasably, within an aperture provided in the vehicle body. For example, a cladding panel could have a plurality of molded-in attachment structures extending from an inside or interior surface of the cladding and releasably received in corresponding apertures defined in the vehicle body for mounting the cladding to the vehicle body.
Sometimes a secondary component is used to mount or at least assist in mounting the cladding to the vehicle body. For example, one or more brackets can be used to mount or hang a cladding onto the vehicle body. These brackets can include a body portion that overlays a portion of a cladding panel for positioning and/or supporting the cladding panel relative to the vehicle body and a mounting or hanging means for connecting the cladding to the bracket. The bracket's body portion can be generally planar or can have a contour that generally matches that of the cladding panel, or at least the portion of the cladding panel that the bracket's body portion overlays. The bracket can further include its own one or more molded-in or integral clips or attachment structures that can be secured, sometimes releasably, within corresponding apertures provided in the vehicle body to secure the bracket to the vehicle body and thereby secure the cladding, when mounted or hung to the bracket, to the vehicle body.
Should both the cladding and a bracket used in association with the cladding include respective molded-in or integral clip or attachment structures, the vehicle body may be required to include separate holes at the attachment area or location for each of the clips of the cladding and the bracket (i.e., a first aperture or hole will need to be provided for each molded-in clip on the cladding and a second, separate aperture or hole will need to be provided for each molded-in clip on the bracket). This is counter to the general desire to limit the number of holes or apertures provided in a vehicle body, particularly a sheet metal-type vehicle body, for purposes of maintaining the strength, rigidity and/or overall integrity of the vehicle body, as well as to maintain production efficiencies in providing a vehicle body and securing a cladding thereto.